86 



i 793 than had been seen there for many years 

 A "subscription main" was one in which a 

 number of cockers entered one, two or more 

 birds each ; the birds being paired to fight by 

 drawing lots. Among the London cock- pits 

 of which mention is made about this time or 



during the first decades of the nineteenth 

 & 



century are the Moss Alley, Bankside, South- 

 wark, New Pit, Hoxton, and Little Grosvenor 

 Street, Millbank. This last is mentioned 

 in 1831 as the " New Royal Cock-pit" 



COCK-FIGHTING DURING THE REGENCY 

 Among the leading cockers of this period 

 were the Duke of Northumberland, the Duke 

 of Hamilton and the Earl of Mexborough, 

 Lord Vere and Lord Lonsdale : Lord Derby's 

 prominent part has been already noticed 



In 1814, Lord Lonsdale organised a main for 

 the benefit of the Allied Sovereigns. In 1817, 

 the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia, accom- 

 panied by the Duke of Devonshire, the Russian 

 Ambassador, Sir Wm. Cong re ve, Baron 

 Nichola, General Kutusoff and others went to 

 the Cock-pit Royal and spent an hour and a 

 half watching five battles, in which the Russian 

 visitors were greatly interested, never before 

 having seen a cock-fight * 



* Social England in the Regency, By John Ashton 



